Category — Ministry Tools

Conclusion
In recent years many large churches have been challenged with organizational issues of a magnitude smaller churches never grapple with. I believe that many of these large churches have naively turned to a corporate or business model to try to solve their organizational problems. They reasoned, “These strategies have worked well in corporations, so let’s implement them in the church.”

But as I’ve attempted to demonstrate briefly above, corporations and churches do not share the same goals and cannot function successfully within the same model. Imagine a corporation implementing the church model in which their goal becomes building relationships, not making money. No employees are expendable. All leadership is shared and servant-based. There are no metrics, simply values. It might be fun to work in such a corporation—until the money runs out! The church model will not work for the corporation! Why would we think the corporate model would work for the church? [Read more →]

Leadership
Because a corporation is driven by efficiency an efficient form of leadership is needed. A chief operating officer (CEO) with a clear, top-down chain-of-command provides the needed efficiency. The CEO, with an eye toward meeting customer and shareholder needs, provides direction and sets goals for the company. From these goals and direction all departments and employees derive their goals.

When a new CEO is appointed from outside that corporation he/she often brings with them their own key staff and a shuffle occurs in the organization. One of the maladies inherent with the CEO model is the CEO’s tendency to hire leaders like him/herself. The CEO becomes the standard of leadership. Those with a variant style of leadership aren’t considered qualified to lead, so the hunt goes outside the organization for “more qualified” employees (i.e., those with a similar leadership style to the CEO). [Read more →]

Paul writes this amazing letter to the Roman followers of Christ because he cannot restrain himself from proclaiming the Good News of God! Look at all Paul reveals to us about this Good News of God in first few paragraphs of his letter. (Romans 1:1-17 NLT)

• Paul was chosen by God to proclaim His Good News—1:1
• God promised this Good News long ago through His prophets in the holy Scriptures—1:2
• The Good News is about God’s Son Jesus, who is both a descendent of King David and the one and only Son of God—1:3-4
• God intends His Good News for all nations everywhere, that people might believe His Good News, obey Him and bring glory to His name—1:5
• Paul’s calling, passion and privilege is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ—1:15-16
• The Good News of Jesus Christ is God’s power at work to save all who believe—1:16
• This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight—namely through faith in Jesus—1:17 [Read more →]

Sometimes we never know how people will speak into our lives.  And if we are willing to listen and consider the words, God can drastically change our lives. It happened to me this morning while enjoying a piece of toast with my daughter.

I had her perched on our kitchen island and I asked her the question (not knowing what kind of answer, if any, I was going to receive), “Hattie, what are YOU going to wear to church today?”  She looked up at me with her beautiful, big brown eyes and peanut butter and jelly spread all over her face and emphatically replied, “JESUS!”  I stood there stunned, speechless, silent.  Then it hit me – was I going to “wear Jesus” today?  Conviction rolled over me, because I don’t “wear Him” everyday.  Was I going to wear Jesus today?  Not just at church where it is easy.  What about the rest of the week, where it is not easy? [Read more →]

The Box

“Maria, would you come in here, please?” The doctor called out from his office where he was packing his personal belongings. This was his last workday before retirement.

Maria appeared in the doorway, eager to help where she was needed. She had come to work at the medical clinic as office manager two-and-a-half years ago right out of college. “What can I do for you, Doctor?” [Read more →]

Values are like a compass showing us due north. Values give us direction. Values make our lives easier, because they’ve already settled issues for us that we don’t have to wrestle with every time they come up. Values help us focus on right-living.

In 1 Peter 4:7-11, the Lord provides us with five values to guide us as we employ our spiritual gifts in the family of Christ:

“The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:7-11) [Read more →]

Values are like a compass showing us due north. Values give us direction. Values make our lives easier, because they’ve already settled issues for us that we don’t have to wrestle with every time they come up. Values help us focus on right-living.

In 1 Peter 4:7-11, the Lord provides us with five values to guide us as we employ our spiritual gifts in the family of Christ:

“The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:7-11) [Read more →]

“Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything your land produces.” (Proverbs 3:9 NLT) To honor God is to show our regard, esteem, value, respect, and prizing of him. When we give to the Lord, we demonstrate to him, to others, and to ourselves that he is supreme in our lives.  When we give, we attest that he is our most valued treasure. Giving shows that our hearts are set on him and not on our money or belongings. Giving honors God as supreme. Giving to him is an act of worship.

But there is both a non-giving and a giving that dishonors God. Not giving simply fails to honor God. Not giving demonstrates that our wealth and possessions and not God are truly what we treasure most. Not giving to God withholds honor from him and hoards that honor for us. By not giving, we elevate our wealth and possessions above him.  So, not giving dishonors God. [Read more →]

The term solitude is a bit misleading, for in solitude we do not seek to be totally alone, but alone with God. Solitude is one of the most intimate relational graces. We long for solitude because of the personal time we get to spend with the Lord in the absence of others and anything that distracts. Our desire for solitude with God flows from our love for and enjoyment of him.

From the preceding description of solitude we understand that to “be by oneself” does not constitute solitude. Instead, solitude is a deliberate retreat from others and distractions in order to spend time with God. Linda and I spend a lot of time with other people both socially and in ministry. But we both long for times of solitude with each other—when I’m there totally for her, and she for me. Our times of solitude with God are similar in that we want to be preoccupied with him and his presence with us without distraction. [Read more →]

Forgiveness is the flip-side relational grace of repentance. Clearly seen, forgiveness provides us with the opportunity to extend to others what God freely gives us. Since God is holy and without sin, there is never a time when we could offer him forgiveness! So why would we consider forgiveness a relational grace needed in our relationship with him?

Forgiveness is a relational grace necessary in our relationship with God because he clearly says it is. In Matthew 6:14-15 NLT, Jesus explained, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” On the surface this may sound harsh or even transactional in nature, but it’s not. It is highly relational as we’ll see. [Read more →]